Hialeah Hospital announced today it ranks in the Top 5 percent of hospitals in the nation for maternity care and has been presented the 2007/2008 Maternity Care Excellence Awardª from HealthGrades, a leading independent healthcare ratings company.
In addition, Hialeah Hospital has been recognized with a five-star rating for clinical excellence in a maternity care report just issued by HealthGrades.
The 2007/2008 HealthGrades ratings for maternity care are based on the following criteria: in-hospital complication rates associated with vaginal and cesarean deliveries, in-hospital volume, neonatal mortality, and complication rates for non-medically indicated or patient choice cesarean sections.
"Being named a top maternity center by HealthGrades is validation that Hialeah Hospital is serving the needs of the community," said Ron Bierman, CEO of Hialeah Hospital.
"Our maternity team is dedicated to ensuring that mothers and newborns treated here receive the best care available."
For its 2007/2008 ratings, HealthGrades independently analyzed the quality of maternity care at more than 1,500 hospitals across 19 states that make this information publicly available, objectively assessing their clinical performance and quality over the three year period from 2003 - 2005.
The four criteria measured were analyzed using predetermined weights based on consensus from a physician panel. Each factor's percentile score was multiplied by its determined value and then summed to create an overall score.
Based upon each hospital's overall score, HealthGrades applied the following rating system: Five-star (Best) = Top 15 percent of all hospitals within 19 statesThree-star (Average) = Middle 70 percent of all hospitals within 19 statesOne-star (Poor) = Bottom 15 percent of all hospitals within 19 states.
Receiving a five-star designation indicates a hospital has scored in the Top 15 percent or better in the nation for clinical quality. "Each year, HealthGrades conducts annual studies of hospital quality in America," explained Samantha Collier, HealthGrades chief medical officer.
"The fact is a close analysis of the data shows that the quality of maternity care varies widely from hospital to hospital, so itss important for individuals to have this vital information as they evaluate hospitals."
The complete maternity care ratings are published and can be viewed for free on the HealthGrades Web site. Ratings for 28 other medical procedures and diagnoses, including cardiac, pulmonary, vascular, stroke, orthopedics, critical care, bariatrics and gastrointestinal services are also available on the HealthGrades Web site.
Hialeah Hospital, part of Tenet's Miami-Dade/Broward Network, is a 378-bed acute care hospital located at 651 East 25th Street in Hialeah. The hospital has been serving the medical and health care needs of central to north Miami-Dade County since 1951. Hialeah Hospital offers a broad range of health care services, including 24-hour emergency care, cardiology, neurosurgery, obstetrics, a Level II Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, laboratory, a surgical weight loss program, a sleep disorders program, and a complement of imaging services.
Hialeah Hospital has earned a five-star rating and is ranked among the top five percent of hospitals in the nation for maternity care by HealthGrades, a health care quality ratings company. Hialeah Hospital is fully accredited by the Joint Commission on the Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations, the nation's oldest and largest hospital accreditation agency.